May 9, 2018 By Solomon Rogers
Dr Wurie met with health staff on Monday
In an innovative drive to transform the health sector and ensure quality service delivery, newly appointed Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr Alpha Tejan Wurie, has unfolded his plans to senior staff in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation during his maiden meeting with staff at the ministry’s headquarters in Freetown, on Monday, May 7.
The minister emphasised on inclusive development and bridging gaps between the peripheral health units and the headquarters.
Dr Wurie observed that there had been a disconnect between the ministry and PHUs, but promised to bridge the gaps within two to five years of his tenure through a productive team work approach and maximum support to rural urban health sector.
On the issue of strengthening the sector, he indicated that much is needed to fix rural and urban health facilities especially in the area of infrastructures, portable water supply, energy, human resources, nutrition, drugs and modern laboratory for diagnostic purposes.
He extended invitation to health professionals who are no longer in the system but have something to offer to the people of Sierra Leone to come on board.
He said that the three professional heads of the ministry – Chief Medical Officer and his two deputies – should to work hand in glove under the Executive Management Committee for effective service delivery, with each of them providing direct supervisory roles to key programmes within the ministry.
Welcoming the new minister, Permanent Secretary David Banya maintained that Dr. Wurie is an accomplished academic, a fulfilled politician and entrepreneur in the private sector who has served in strategic areas of human endeavour.
Banya explained that the ministry consists of professionals headed by the Chief Medical Officer and the administrative wing headed by the Permanent Secretary, backed by Directors and Programme Managers. .
He pointed out that his ministry consists of 50% of Civil Servants with a large number of them being volunteers awaiting recruitment into the main stream.
While congratulating the new Minister of Health, Chief Medical Officer Dr Brima Kargbo stressed the relevance of primary and secondary healthcare in boosting quality health service delivery in the country.